Kapil Sibal calls for 10-year ban on politicians switching parties mid-term
Former Union Minister Kapil Sibal has proposed a 10-year ban on politicians who switch parties mid-term to combat the issue of 'horse-trading' in Indian democracy. He argues that the current Tenth Schedule of the Constitution contains loopholes that allow for mass defections, effectively undermining the public's electoral mandate.
Why it matters
The proposal addresses a critical issue in Indian parliamentary democracy regarding political stability and the integrity of the voter's mandate.
Former Union Minister Kapil Sibal suggested that anyone who changes their political party during an active term should be disqualified from contesting elections and serving as an elected representative for the next five or ten years.
He was delivering a talk on horse-trading and democracy at an event conducted by the Kerala State Committee of the All India Lawyers Union (AILU), on Sunday (September 13, 2026). “I have a confession, I am a Dimagi Naxal ” he declared as he began his speech.
The Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, which deals with anti-defection, provides that a Member of Parliament would not be disqualified for defection if his political party merged with another political party and two-thirds of the party agreed to the merger.
The clause, which was designed to protect political realignment, has now become the preferred instrument of wholesale defection, he noted.
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